1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage devices for media units and, more particularly, to a storage device having a plurality of carriers pivotally supported in a series of rows, with each of the carriers having means for holding one or more media units thereon, in an upright position, so that the media units can be easily and quickly identified upon flipping the carriers in each row from a rearwardly inclined position to a forwardly inclined position.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording of audio, video and other types of data on various types of media is well known and used extensively in many industries including the fields of education, business and entertainment. In particular, music and video is commonly stored on media ranging from compact discs (CD's), DVD's, and CD-roms to cassette tapes and video tape (e.g. VCR tapes). Other types of well known storage media include video game cart ridges and/or cassettes such as those used in the well known and popular Nintendo and Sony play station systems. In professional environments, such as medical and legal practices, microcassettes are commonly used for dictation. And, more recently, the use of mini discs and laser discs as a means to record audio and video have become increasingly widespread. Eventually, most people find the need to store these various individual media units in an organized manner so that they may be retrieved for use at a later date. For instance, anyone with a sizable CD collection knows that it can be a time consuming and often frustrating task to locate a particular album at a moment's notice. Others having an extensive collection of video games, CD-roms, VCR tapes, and the like experience the same challenge when hunting down a favorite game or program.
In an effort to provide a means for organizing and storing media units, such as those described above, various display racks and storage units have been proposed in the related art. Some of these devices are free standing and may be portable, while others are incorporated into home entertainment centers and computer work stations. In general, most of these devices hold the media units in a stationary, fixed position within single slots. The media units are generally inserted into the slots in a horizontal, stacked orientation so that only the narrow end of the media unit, having small print thereon, is exposed for identification. In many instances, display racks and storage units are placed on the floor. This requires a person to bend down or kneel on the floor and struggle to read the tiny print, along the narrow edges of the media units, within inches of the floor. To locate a desired one of the media units, it is usually necessary to search through the entire collection, one by one. Once found, it is difficult to grasp and remove the located media unit from within the stacked display.
Most media products are packaged in a plastic case which has a large front panel for displaying a cover of the product. Typically, a jacket is fitted within the case which includes a large colorful cover which is visible through the front of the case. This packaging method is used in virtually all CD's, cassette tapes, video game discs, and CD-roms. Because the cover is unique to the particular media product within the case, usually displaying the title in large print and graphics or pictures relating to the product (e.g., pictures of a recording artist, musical group, video game character, etc.), the cover is the easiest way to quickly identify the particular media unit that a person is trying to find.
Accordingly, in view of the problems associated with the various display racks/storage units known in the related art, there is a need for an improved storage device which is specifically structured to hold a collection of media units in a generally vertical orientation and in a manner which displays the front cover of each of the media units, thereby providing for easy visual identification and location of each of the individual media units stored within the device.